Pennies for Pasta: Students at Birches Elementary School recently held a “Pennies for Pasta” fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And they rocked it. With students collecting loose change around the school and house – and a few dollar bills, too – Birches raised $4,404.89. That was more than double the original goal of $2,000.

Ten Birches classrooms earned a bronze pennant to hang in their room for raising between $100 and $200; two classrooms received a silver pennant for raising between $200 and $300 and six classrooms secured gold pennants for raising $300 or more.

But the superstar classrooms were Paul Rodrigo’s fourth grade class ($521.69 raised) and Bettiann Young’s fifth grade class ($517.68). For being the top two rooms, each class received a pasta party courtesy of the Olive Garden.